Not only did the boys get to meet and dine with President Obama, but they were celebrated at the Kennedy Center Honours ceremony in Washington DC last night. Alongside Oscar-winner Dustin Hoffman, chat show legend David Letterman, blues star Buddy Guy and ballerina Natalia Makarova, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page got all dressed up in their penguin suits as the Barack Obama paid tribute to the band for "making us all feel young, and for showing us that some guys who are not completely youthful can still rock!".
Before the main event on Sunday, the recipients of the Kennedy Center Honours attended a dinner event at the White House, which would overwhelm the most unwhelmable aging rock star. Plant said he was flattered by the award, adding that he was glad to see Jones and Page using "good table manners". Obama had even more good things to say about Page, Plant, Jones and the late Bonham. "There was this singer with a mane like a lion and a voice like a banshee, a guitar prodigy who left people’s jaws on the floor, a versatile bassist who was equally at home on the keyboards, a drummer who played like his life depended on it."
Good old Obama showed a bit of humour as well when he thanked the boys for behaving themselves while at the White House given their history of "hotel rooms being trashed and mayhem all around". The ceremony itself featured musical tributes to the band in the form of Heart belting out Stairway to Heaven. The event airs on US TV on St. Stephen's Day, so expect it on YouTube shortly after.
